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Novel Design of an Integrated Pulp Mill Biorefinery for the ...

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sodium sulfide <strong>an</strong>d sodium carbonate <strong>for</strong>ms at <strong>the</strong> bottom <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> typical recovery boiler. The<br />

contents <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> aqueous solution are sodium carbonate, 90-100 g/L, sodium sulfide, 20-50 g/L,<br />

<strong>an</strong>d sodium hydroxide, 15-25 g/L. If <strong>the</strong> white liquor rises above 35% sulfidity it is considered<br />

poisonous to <strong>the</strong> pulp, <strong>an</strong>d not useful.<br />

2.1.4 Extending <strong>the</strong> Delignification Process<br />

Oxygen delignification, kraft pulping additives, <strong>an</strong>d alternative pulping chemistry c<strong>an</strong><br />

fur<strong>the</strong>r extend <strong>the</strong> delignification process <strong>an</strong>d reduce <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> bleaching chemicals (Pulliam,<br />

1995). The best digestion practices will only remove approximately 90 percent <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> lignin in<br />

<strong>the</strong> pulp. Oxygen delignification helps reduce fading <strong>an</strong>d increases strength <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> paper. It is<br />

applied between <strong>the</strong> pulping <strong>an</strong>d bleaching stages. It enables total chlorine free bleaching (TCF)<br />

to be possible. During delignification, <strong>the</strong> pulp is heated to around 100 degrees Celsius at 1 MPa<br />

<strong>for</strong> <strong>an</strong> hour. Fifteen kilograms <strong>of</strong> oxygen <strong>an</strong>d 30 kilograms <strong>of</strong> sodium hydroxide are used in this<br />

process A one stage system will remove fifty percent <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> remaining lignin, while <strong>the</strong> two stage<br />

system will remove seventy percent. [23]<br />

Ozone bleaching is also a powerful oxidizer <strong>an</strong>d is applied after <strong>the</strong> oxygen<br />

delignification process. From three to ten kilograms <strong>of</strong> ozone is required to complete ozone<br />

bleaching. The most economical way to produce ozone is through <strong>the</strong> oxygen coming out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

air separation unit. ECF or TCF sequences containing ozone <strong>of</strong>fer <strong>the</strong> lowest bleaching costs.<br />

[24]<br />

A more experimental practice introduced recently is using a pressurized peroxide stage.<br />

Increasing pressure, temperature, <strong>an</strong>d perhaps a little oxygen has greatly increased <strong>the</strong><br />

brightening power <strong>an</strong>d efficiency <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> peroxide stage. The pressurized peroxide stage utilized<br />

<strong>for</strong> final brightening requires 100 degrees Celsius at 0.5 MPa <strong>for</strong> 2 hours. The residence time<br />

required to reach a given brightness is also reduced to approximately 20% <strong>of</strong> that required in a<br />

conventional peroxide bleach tower. [24]<br />

2.1.5 Bleaching<br />

After <strong>the</strong> pulping stage, <strong>the</strong>re is still a signific<strong>an</strong>t lignin which is closely bonded with <strong>the</strong><br />

pulp. This requires a series <strong>of</strong> bleaching stages to remove <strong>the</strong> lignin because <strong>the</strong> lignin adds<br />

undesirable weakness <strong>an</strong>d color to <strong>the</strong> paper. Be<strong>for</strong>e environmental controls kicked into full gear,<br />

pure chlorine (Cl2) was used to bleach <strong>the</strong> pulp. Due to environmental concerns a whole host <strong>of</strong><br />

chemicals including ozone, hydrogen peroxide, enzymes, <strong>an</strong>d chlorine dioxide have proven to be<br />

viable substitutes.<br />

The main counter-current washing systems in kraft pulp bleaching involve three different<br />

wash water circulation systems: direct counter-current, jump-stage <strong>an</strong>d/or split flow washing.<br />

Each <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se stages employs alkaline or acid washes. For example, a five stage wash could look<br />

like this, (DC)(EO)DED, with <strong>the</strong> D stages using acidic solution <strong>an</strong>d stages with E using <strong>an</strong><br />

alkaline solution. Acidic solution in <strong>the</strong> past was elemental chlorine, but now used chlorine<br />

dioxide or o<strong>the</strong>r substitutes. Alkaline solution active chemicals are sodium hydroxide <strong>an</strong>d<br />

sodium sulfide [25].<br />

Washing systems are used to separate <strong>the</strong> white liquor from <strong>the</strong> pulp-water suspension<br />

during <strong>the</strong> bleaching phase. Free liquor exists in suspension surrounding <strong>the</strong> wood chips <strong>an</strong>d is<br />

relatively simple to remove. The “fiber phase” which includes wood fibers <strong>an</strong>d white liquor<br />

entrained in those fibers <strong>of</strong>fers a more difficult challenge, but is required in order to make <strong>the</strong><br />

paper efficient. Entrained liquor in <strong>the</strong> fiber phase c<strong>an</strong> only be removed by diffusion or capillary<br />

13

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